Sourcebook for The Cultures of the West, Volume One

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Designed to accompany The Cultures of the West by Clifford R. Backman (OUP, 2012), the two-volume Sources for The Cultures of the West features approximately six written sources per chapter that highlight key themes in the study of Western civilization. Each of the 130 sources is accompanied by a headnote. Each volume begins with a special unit, "How to Read a Primary Source," that provides students with important advice on how to work with textual documents in studying the past.

Features:

* Provides a wealth of tips and advice to help students research and write essays for history classes* Covers all aspects of writing about history, including finding topics and researching them, interpreting source materials, drawing inferences from sources, and constructing arguments* Uses numerous examples from the works of cultural, political, and social historians

Sources for The Cultures of the West is FREE when bundled with The Cultures of the West. Please contact your OUP representative to request a package ISBN.

Clifford R. Backman is Professor of History at Boston University. He is the author of The Worlds of Medieval Europe, Second Edition (OUP, 2008), and The Decline and Fall of Medieval Sicily: Politics, Religion, and Economy in the Reign of Frederick III, 1296-1337 (1995).

How to Read a Primary Source

Chapter 1: Water and Soil, Stone and Metal1.1 Shamash Hymn, c.2000-c.1600 BCE1.2 "Poem of the Righteous Sufferer," c.2000-1600 BCEChapter 2: Law Givers, Evil Emperor, and Dangerous Gods2.1 Laws of Hammurabi, c.1772 BCE2.2 Egyptian Book of the Dead: "Negative Confession," in use ca.1550 BCE-50 BCE2.3 Great Hymn to the Aton, 14th century BCE2.4 "Epic of Gilgamesh," 18th century-7th century BCE 2.5 "Tale of Sinuhe," earliest MS c. 1800 BCE2.6 "Loyalist Teaching," c. 1550-c. 1000 BCEChapter 3: The Chosen People 3.1 Book of Genesis: Noah and the Flood, Chapters 6-9, compiled by 5th century BCE3.2 Book of Exodus: Moses and Pharaoh, Chapters 7, 11-12, and 14, compiled by 5th century BCE3.3 First Book of Kings, King Solomon and the Temple, chapters 6-83.4 Book of Jeremiah, Prophecy to Israel, chapters 7 and 8, written ca. 6th century BCEChapter 4: Greeks and Persians4.1 Homer, The Iliad, 8th century BCE4.2 Hesiod, Works and Days, last third of 8th century BCE4.3 Herodotus on the Egyptians, from Histories, c.450-c.420 BCE4.4 Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, early 5th century BCEChapter 5: Hellenim and Second Temple Judaism 5.1 Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound (undated; 5th century)5.2 Book of Ezra, Rebuilding the Temple, chapters 1-3, 5-6, written ca. mid-5th century BCE5.3 Plato, Symposium, 385-380 BCE5.4 Aristotle, "On the Elements of Tragedy" (Poetics, Book VI), ca. 335 BCE5.5 Diogenes Laërtius, "Life of Zeno of Citium," The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, ca. first half of 3rd century CE Chapter 6: The Empire of the Sea: Rome6.1 Epictetus, Enchiridion, I, V, XIV, recorded early 2nd century6.2 Tacitus, Histories, before 117 6.3 From Suetonius, Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Caligula; Claudius, ca.119 CE6.4 Virgil, Aeneid, between 29 and 19 BCE6.5 Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, c.170-180 CEChapter 7: Paganisms and Christianities7.1 Josephus, The Jewish War, c.75 CE7.2 Pliny the Younger, Letters, 97-1127.3 Gospel of Thomas, 4th century?7.4 Celsus/Origen, Contra Celsus, book I, chapters 6, 28; book III, chapters 62; book IV, chapter 73; book VIII, chapters 41, 49, 55; ca. 177 CE7.5 Minucius Felix, Octavius, chapter 30, "Ritual Cannibalism Charge against Christians," 3rd century CE7.6 Augustine of Hippo, Seventh Discourse on the Gospel of JohnChapter 8: The Early Middle Ages 8.1 The Nicene Creed, Two Versions8.2 Gildas, On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain, ca. 525-ca. 5408.3 Gregory the Great, "Life of St. Benedict," 593 CE8.4 Bede, Ecclesiastical History of English People, completed ca. 7318.5 Dhuoda, Handbook for William, 841/8438.6 From Trotula, 13th centuryChapter 9: Reform and Renewal 9.1 Einhard, Life of Charlemagne, written ca. 817-8339.2 Guibert de Nogent, Gesta Dei, 1107-11089.3 Usamah ibn Munqidh, Memoirs, 11839.4 Maimonides, Guide for the Perplexed, 12th century9.5 From "Song of Roland," ca. 1140-ca. 1170Chapter 10: Worlds Brought Down 10.1 Dante, Divine Comedy: "Paolo and Francesca" from Inferno10.2 Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love, after 137310.3 From Froissart, "On Flagellants," 1369-140010.4 One Thousand and One Nights, 12th centuryChapter 11: Renaissance and Reformations 11.1 Petrarch, Letters, 1352 and 1366/711.2 Erasmus, Letter to a friend, Julius excluded, and Introduction to the Gospels, first published 152211.3 Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy, ca.1517?11.4 From Ariosto, Orlando Furioso (Mad Orlando), published 151611.5 Martin Luther, "Preface to the New Testament," first published 152211.6 Cellini, My Life, 1558-156311.7 Vasari, Lives of Artists, first published in 1550, revised and added to until 1568Chapter 12: The Last Crusades 12.1 Bartolomé de las Casas, A Short Account, written 1542; published 155212.2 John Foxe, Foxe's Book of Martyrs, Trial of Anne Askew12.3 From Christopher Marlowe, The Massacre at Paris, ca.1593 12.4 Johannes Junius, Letter to His Daughter and Trial Transcript, 1628Chapter 13: Science Breaks Out and Breaks Through13.1 Galileo Galilei, Letter to Don Benedetto Castelli, December 21, 161313.2 John Donne, Sermon (December 12, 1626); "To his Mistress Going to Bed" (1669)13.3 Thomas Hobbes, "On Natural Law," Leviathan, 165113.4 Descartes, A Discourse on the Method, 1637Chapter 14: From Westphalia to Paris: Regimes Old and New 14.1 Anne of France, Lessons for My Daughter (end 16th century)14.2 Cardinal Richelieu, "The Role of the King," Political Testament, ca. 1638, first published 168814.3 François Fénelon, The Adventures of Telemachus, 169914.4 Molière, The Misanthrope, first performed 1666